The Flying Eagles of Nigeria ended the 2026 WAFU B U20 Championship group phase on a disappointing note following a 2-0 defeat to Burkina Faso's Young Stallions on Sunday, but the result was not enough to stop Nigeria from progressing to the semi-final of the competition.
Nigeria had enjoyed a strong start to their Group B campaign, opening their tournament with an impressive 4-2 victory over Ghana before securing another convincing win against Togo with a 3-0 triumph.
However, the Flying Eagles were unable to maintain their winning run against Burkina Faso, who claimed all three points with two first-half goals.
Burkina Faso took the lead in the 23rd minute after Alassana Bagayogo headed home from a well-delivered corner kick.
The forward rose above the Nigerian defence to direct the ball into the net and put the Stallions ahead.
The Young Stallions doubled their advantage in the 36th minute through Mohamed Zongo, who produced a stunning free-kick from around 30 yards.
His brilliant strike flew past the Flying Eagles goalkeeper and into the back of the net to make it 2-0.
Nigeria attempted to fight back after the break and create opportunities to reduce the deficit, but Burkina Faso remained organised defensively and held on to secure victory.
The Nigerian U20 side will now turn their attention to the knockout stage as they continue their quest to retain the WAFU B U20 Championship title.
Wale Adejumo
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